


Character Profile and Glossary

by Aerythrin



Series: Iku'to and his Adventures [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 11:52:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11713857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerythrin/pseuds/Aerythrin
Summary: These will be posted separately from the main story, for clarity.Iku'to's character profile will denote his 'specs' (looks, race etc) as well as his backstory, and arguably most importantly, his personality. His backstory will be alluded to and eventually covered in the main story, but I find it helpful to have a point of reference for those curious enough to care.The glossary is mainly for non-players (I hope the story would be accessible enough that anyone could enjoy it regardless of whether they are familiar with the game or not) but will cover frenquently-used terms (measurements etc) as well as Eorzea-specific terms. May include a bestiary at some point.





	1. Glossary

**Author's Note:**

> Iku'to is my own original character conceived first for potential RP in-game, who I have then developed into the character I am writing in his story. Sections will be titled, so please feel free to browse at your leisure, or just read the whole thing before continuing with the story (if you so desire).
> 
> Please note that the area Iku'to hails from will remain un-named indefinitely, but he is NOT originally of Eorzea. This is largely so that I can describe places, people and situations with a fresh eye without it feeling too contrived or seeming unnecessary. He has travelled a VERY long way to get to Ul'dah!
> 
> Any and all comments welcome.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glossary of terms used in the story which may need further explanation. Can be read before or during the tale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terms being explained are in bold, with a brief explanation next to them. Likely this will need updating every now and then. I will try to explain terms to the best of my ability within the story itself, but I feel that having a separate resource may prove useful, especially for any non-players.
> 
> For non-players, it's worth noting that the WOL (Warrior of Light, the protagonist the player plays as) does react to things, but only in a very minor way (nods, changes in expression), and you sometimes select text reactions, but these have no bearing on the story itself. So as a writer, my aim is to tell the story from the perspective of one of these Warriors of Light, but instead of having them be the silent, stoic prescence, like in the game, they are an individual - not made for a player to project their own personality onto, but one who can be a vessel for the epic story, with some unique moments of their own throughout.

**General:**

**Eorzea** \- the continent the story begins in. City-states within include Ul'dah, Gridania, and Limsa Lominsa. Eorzea has been ravaged by several events in its history, the most recent of which being the Calamity (which occurred five years prior to the beginning of the story).

 **The Calamity** \- an event wherein the lesser moon Dalamud drew closer and closer to Eorzea, causing chaos - when it got close enough, it appeared to be the prison of the elder Primal, Bahamut. As the moon hits the Eorzean atmosphere, Bahamut was released, and the dragon unleashed hell upon the realm. A group of brave adventurers and Archon Louisoix give their lives to save Eorzea, but note that Bahamut is not necessarily 'defeated'.

 **The Twelve** \- Guardian deities of various city-states, races, sects, etc. Most Eorzeans focus their worship on one of these deities, but recognises the existence of the others.

**Races:**

**The Hyur** \- Eorzeas humans, and the race which makes up the majority of Eorzea's population. The Midlander clan can be found anywhere in Eorzea, whereas the Highlander clan hail from mountainous areas. The Midlanders tend to be shorter and less muscular than the Highlanders.

 **The Elezen** \- Eorzeas elves, and the 'original' race of Eorzea, who have resided there far longer than any other race. The Wildwood clan live in and around forests, as a rule, though many Wildwood Elezen make their home in Ishgard, which is mostly devoid of forests. Their eyesight is very good. The Duskwight clan live in caverns or caves and boast excellent hearing. They are reclusive, and some resort to stealing to survive, so generally they are regarded with scorn.

 **The Lalafell** \- a race of diminutive stature who migrated to Eorzea looking for trade. The Plainsfolk hail from the plains and often live as farmers. The Dunesfolk come from the dunes, and it is said that they have a protective layer they have evolved in order to protect their eyes from the sand.

 **The Miqo'te** \- a race descended from hunters who crossed into Eorzea looking for prey many years previous. Cat-like features, including tails, cat ears (they DO NOT have a pair of "human" ears) and sharp canines. They don't have other feline features (such as full-body hair, cleft palate, claws). They _can_ purr, but it's rare for them to. Sun Seekers are patriarchal, and their tribes are run by one head male - the Nunh (pronounded 'noon') - who owns all of the females. Other males in the tribe are known as Tia. They are diurnal, and have slit pupils. All Miqo'te have strong legs but the Sun Seekers are particularly accomplished runners. Moon Keepers are a matriarchal society, and many more females are born to Moon Keepers than males. They are nocturnal, and have round pupils - they also tend to have darker hair and fur than Sun Seekers, as well as longer tails. Whilst their ability to run pales in comparison to that of their Sun Seeker counterparts, their extremely keen senses (developed through generations of hunting in the night) make up for the deficit.

 **The Roegadyn** \- a race of maritime people. Their name means "people of the rain". The Sea Wolf clan are in large part sailors and pirates. They make up the majority of Limsa Lominsa's population along with Midlanders. The Hellsguard hail from volcanic regions, and often work as sellswords.

 **The Au Ra** \- a Far Eastern race which display dragon-like features: horns, scales and tails. The Raen believe that they are descendants of the Dawn Father, reflected in their brilliant white scales. The Xaela believe that they are descendants of the Dusk Mother, and this manifests itself in their dark scales. Whereas the Raen have assimilated to the ways of the Far East where they reside, the Xaela remain tribal, and often war amongst themselves.

 **Measurements** :

 **Ilm** \- an inch in real-world measurements.

 **Fulm** \- a foot in real-world measurements.

 **Yalm** \- a yard in real-world measurements.

 **Malm** \- a mile in real-world measurements.

 **Onze** \- an ounce in real-world measurements.

 **Ponze** \- a pound in real-world measurements.

 **Tonze** \- a tonne in real-world measurements.

 **Bell** \- an hour in real-world time.

 **Sun** \- a day in real-world time.

 **Moon** \- a month in real-world time.

 **Summers** \- another way of saying a year (though both are used).

 **Cities** :

 **Ul'dah** \- a prosperous but troubled city. In Thanalan, a desert area. Ruled by the Sultana, but in name only - the city suffers from internal strife. General Raubahn serves as the Sultana's protector, but also the head of Ul'dah's Grand Company, The Immortal Flames.

 **Gridania** \- a harmonic city deep in The Black Shroud. Kan-E-Senna, the elder Seedseer, works to retain the balance between all of the guilds which call Gridania home, its residents and the Elementals. She also heads the Grand Company, The Order of the Twin Adder.

 **Limsa Lominsa** \- a maritime port city. Made up of many small islands connected together by bridges and other structures. Unsurprisingly gets much of its wealth from the shipping industry. Overseen by Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, who heads the Grand Company, The Maelstrom.

 **Classes** :

 **Disciples of War** \- those who have taken up physical weapons (bows and arrows, swords, etc).

\- Gladiators (later Paladins) wield sword and shield to protect their allies from enemy fire.

\- Marauders (later Warriors) utilize axes and rush into the fray, attracting the attention of enemies.

\- Dark Knights use two-handed swords, and utilise dark powers to defend their allies.

\- Archers (later Bards) use a bow and arrow to damage enemies from afar.

\- Machinists deploy turrets and utilize guns to strike foes.

\- Pugilists (later Monks) use fist weapons called Hora to defeat enemies in close combat.

\- Rogues (later Ninjas) use stealth and quick strikes to despatch foes.

\- Lancers (later Dragoons) wield lances and focus on jumping strikes.

\- Samurai wield katana and use Sen to empower their weapon strikes.

 **Disciples of Magic** \- those who wield magic to aid allies or smite foes.

\- Conjurers (later White Mages) harness the power of the elements through their staffs to heal their allies and harm their enemies.

\- Arcanists (later Scholars) summon faeries through the power of their grimoire, allowing them to aid their allies.

\- Astrologians utilise the power of the stars and other celestial bodies to heal allies and strike their foes.

\- Arcanists (later Summoners) summon aetherial beings known as Carbuncles through their grimoires to damage their enemies.

\- Thaumaturges (later Black Mages) wield fire and ice magic through sceptres to blast their enemies from afar.

\- Red Mages utilise a combination of white magic and black magic. They wield a magical rapier, allowing them to jump into the melee when they have amassed enough power.

 **Disciples of the Land** \- those who collect materials (fishers, herbalists, miners).

 **Disciples of the Hand** \- those who use aforementioned materials to create all manner of useful things, from armour to weapons to food to potions.

 **Miscellaneous** :

 **Chocobos** \- avian, Eorzean equivalent of horses. Big birds with large, two-toed feet. Often used in lieu of horses to ride, pull transport, etc. Usually yellow. They like to eat Gryshal Greens.

 **Moogles** \- white, fluffy beings with small bat wings and something called a "pom" on the top of their head. This "pom" is a coloured ball that extends from the top of their heads via an antenna. Renowned for being quite irritating and whimsical creatures.


	2. Glossary

**Full name** : Iku'to Vhinyota. Iku is his mother's forename, and 'to is indicative of his being the second son of the family.

 **Nickname/s** : Ikky. Originally conceived by Thancred as a joke, amongst close friends the name has stuck. Except Alphinaud, who refuses to call him anything except his full name. Only his closest friends may address him this way: anyone else risks being bitten by Iku'to.

Toto. For reasons best known to himself, Haurchefant coins this nickname whilst the two share an evening drink together. He may have been slightly drunk at the time. Iku'to pretends to hate it, but secretly he rather likes the fact that he has an exclusive nickname shared with Haurchefant. Only Haurchefant may call him this.

 **Race/clan** : Miqo'te. Keeper of the Moon.

 **Nameday** : 31/3 (32nd Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon).

 **Age** : 24 summers.

 **Appearance** : Bright red hair with dark tips. The dark tips mostly show up on the tips of his ears and tail, but can be seen in a certain light in his hair too. He has bright red eyes and very fair skin. His build is typical - he is on the tall side, not quite but almost reaching 6 fulms tall, and slim, but strong. His tail is long, but not unusually so. He has a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, just above his jawbone, from an event in his past.

 **Favoured deities** : Nophica, the Matron. Guardian deity of Gridania. Iku'to's homeland is similar to The Black Shroud, wherein Gridania resides - so he chose Nophica as his guardian deity.

Oschon, the Wanderer. God of wanderers and vagrants. Being a romantic soul, Iku'to likes to think of himself as a roving wanderer.

Azeyma, the Warden. Keeper of the sun who commands the element of fire. Iku'to likes his fire magic best.

 **Least favourite deities** : Nald'thal, the Traders. He finds Ul'dahns' obsession with money distasteful and considers Nald'thal the God of that same obsession.

Menphina, the Lover. Though Keepers of the Moon worship her, Iku'to's unfortunate background means he has little to no interest in worshipping Menphina, and much prefers her lover, Oschon.

 **Likes** : Food, Moogles (and other fluffy things), rain, swimming, reading, being cosy, sleeping, his friends.

 **Dislikes** : Loud noises, unfamiliar situations, Lalafells, hot weather, yarzons, attuning to Aetherytes, hunting, Sun Seekers.

 **Background** : Iku'to hails from a forested landscape, not unlike The Black Shroud (but in a different area to Eorzea). Still from Hydaelyn (the planet), though. He was born one rainy night (perhaps this is the reason for his love of rain) to his mother, Iku Vhinyota. He is given the name Iku'to, being the second son of the family. He has one older brother (Iku'a), one older sister (Yahli), twin younger sisters (Nohko and Nihko), and one final, very young sister (Nehpe). He has good relationships with his older brother and, later, his twin sisters. Though all of his siblings share a father, Iku'to is the result of his mother's indiscretion - she had a short affair with a wandering mage, who chose not to affiliate himself with either clan of the Miqo'te. He suspects his mother loved the man, but he will never know. Iku'to's father left before his birth - or passed away - Iku'to is never sure, as his mother rarely talks about the man, except to blame him for passing his unique looks and affinity for magick onto their child. Iku didn't have the heart to kill her child, but always resents his uniqueness and what he represents. Due to this, she is distant - she cares for him, but only to the extent that she has to, no more. She rarely if ever provides the young Iku'to with much affection. As such, the task of teaching Iku'to falls mostly to his older brother; his mother's favourite, and Iku'to's personal favourite family member. Iku'to can never find it in his heart to resent his older brother.

Due to Iku'to's isolation from most of his family (when the twins grow a little older, they often lavish attention on the boy when their mother is not around, and delight in teaching him certain skills of varying usefulness) and community, Iku'to develops the wish to gain power - enough for some sort of feat of strength. He hopes that such a feat might serve not only to show those who shunned him (through no fault of his own) that even he has worth, but also to prove this fact to himself. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he lacks confidence in himself, and often relies on the friends he meets on his journey when he has a crisis of confidence. He is often struck by the mothers of other children in the community, and occasionally beaten if he gets too close to them (and usually by their fathers) - despite his mother's distance, she never strikes the child. This causes him to develop an extremely nervous personality, and he will often flinch if a hand is raised near him, even if it is not intended to strike him.

Tragically, his community once ran afoul of a Sun Seeker tribe that had inexplicably found themselves nearby. The Nunh (the ruling male, who owns all of the females) was a greedy man, and his sights rested firmly on the women of the small community. He demanded they submit to him, but they refused (most Moon Keepers, Iku'to included, hold the practices of the Sun Seekers in contempt). Because the Sun Seekers are diurnal, and the Moon Keepers nocturnal, the Nuhn waited until midday and instructed the Tia (other males) of his tribe to cull the males of the Moon Keeper community, thus rendering the females all but useless - a callous act, but one he had hoped would enable him to expand his harem with some more exotic members. Most of the males were slain during the assault, save Iku'to - his brother, Iku'a, was cut down as he defended the boy, who fled for his life (not before getting on the wrong end of a Tia's blade, which scars his face permanently). He spent a lot of time wandering - fortunately, his sisters had taught him to cook, skin, and fashion various items from the leathers, so he survived by slaying small creatures for meat and to fashion functional clothing for himself. He eventually came across his community, by an enormous stroke of luck, and stayed there for a short time before deciding to seek passage to Ul'dah and start a new life. He was overjoyed that his family were not forced into the Nunh's tribe, but he does not find out how they managed to escape their fate. Nohko and Nihko were desperately upset to have found him again, only for him to leave, but they understood his choice, and helped him by sewing him his own set of traditional Miqo'te garments (to replace the threadbare, improvised things he had been wearing) and by helping him to collect enough material to trade for gil for his travels. The death of his brother affects Iku'to constantly, and although he tries not to blame himself, he is very hard on himself as a result. It doesn't cause Iku'to become vengeful, as such, because he knows there is little point in dedicating his life to tracking the Nunh responsible for ordering their deaths, but neither would he let the man live if he encountered him again.

 **Personality** : Iku'to is a quiet young man, and finds solace in solitary activities such as reading (his sisters taught him to read when he was a young boy), which he adores. He likes to lose himself in a fantastical tale every now and then, and secretly wishes that his own adventures might prove half as exciting as the books he favours. He enjoys swimming, in fact he likes water in general - and will go out of his way to experience rain, unless he has a good reason not to. He enjoys food, and delights in trying new flavours and dishes - another skill his sisters taught him is cooking, and although he doesn't get much of a chance to try his hand at cooking Ul'dahn dishes, he vows he will one day dedicate some of his time to learning them. He does not enjoy being hungry. Although he is an avid reader, Iku'to's sisters neglected to teach him to write - save for his name. He begs Momodi to help him learn, and she caves quite quickly and agrees to teach him for a small fee. Fortunately, he is a quick learner, so new skills come fairly easily. Iku'to is not an ignorant person, but he finds Ul'dahn life very confusing from the very first. He struggles to understand figurative speech, and again he turns to Momodi, who obliges. Despite his age, he is an innocent - he has never partaken of alcohol, for example - and displays a rather wide-eyed naivete at times, though he quickly learns that being too optimistic will only lead him to disappointment.

Iku'to is a nervous person, having had scant interpersonal reactions throughout his young life, he lacked a proper role model or buffer. He idolised his brother, but Iku'a was far too different from him for him to try and emulate his behaviour (Iku'a was a charming individual; always knew the right thing to say or do, and never suffered from the isolation that Iku'to was subject to). Because of this, he has a habit of overreacting, as well as a habit of retreating into his own mind. This causes some unfortunate events throughout his travels. Iku'to is prone to anxiety, and will often worry about anything and everything - though he does not lack the ability to deal with most problems he faces, and does so when he is able.

He is eloquent in mind, but not in speech - he tends towards very formal speech, especially with strangers. He has a habit of panicking and stammering, and sometimes it takes him a while to formulate a response or sentence in his mind before he speaks. Sometimes, what he says is quite far removed from what he intended to say, which constantly frustrates him. His ears and tail tend to react to situations before he does, so often, they give his reaction away before he has a chance to hide it (should he wish to). This quality is something many of his associates find incredibly endearing, but makes it quite difficult for Iku'to to feign anything. He is easy to startle, and dislikes loud noises. He does not enjoy physical contact with others - mostly due to the instances of physical abuse he suffered as a young boy - though he learns to live with it. Only the closest of his friends are permitted to touch him without warning. If he is touched without warning, he tends to default to a defensive position - hissing, teeth bared, hair on end. He tends to fidget with anything that is available whilst talking, and is quite easily embarrassed - although he learns, after a while, to hide his embarrassment. He is an emotional soul (though he would like to think otherwise), and often needs some recovery following deaths within (or even, in some cases, without) the group of friends he establishes throughout his adventure.

Iku'to is hardly an altruist, but he is helpful by nature. He is (usually) willing to go out of his way to help someone in a pinch, especially a friend.

Iku'to's love for Moogles stems from his brother's. Iku'a would often tell Iku'to of the creatures (which they consider imaginary), and his prized possession was a wind-up Moogle his father brought him. Iku'to 'inherits' the toy after his brother's death. His dislike for Lalafell begins in Ul'dah - though he has no quarrel with individuals, he finds the general obsession for coin they tend to display most distasteful.

Iku'to loves nothing more than to find something or somewhere cosy/comfortable to curl up in/on. He finds it quite upsetting that he doesn't get the opportunity to do this more often. Though he does like being warm, he finds that he has difficulty coping with the harsh weather of Ul'dah - quite apart from the beaming sun, there is sand _everywhere_. His light skin means he often has to find shade to hide in, and though he would much rather move chiefly in the cooler hours, he doesn't often have this luxury.

He has some talent as a mage - unwittingly gifted by his father - and desires guidance to hone his magick. He prefers fire magick and excels in it, especially if he has something to lose. He joins the Thaumaterge's Guild in Ul'dah in hopes of learning to use his ability as well as he can. Although he enjoys using magick, he finds it places a great strain on his body and mind if he overuses it. When he leaves his family for the second time, he takes with him the carved bone sceptre his father had left his mother. He decides on his travels towards Ul'dah that he will not be bound to his father by using the instrument, and instead he carves his own from a branch. It is functional, but plain.

His scars and troubled early life means Iku'to is unsure, when he arrives in Ul'dah, exactly how to smile; but, thanks to his excitement, he soon learns the feeling of genuine glee and recognises how a real smile feels soon after. Not before scaring a few unfortunate folks with a toothy grimace, though.

Iku'to hates the feeling of attuning to Aetherytes - it scares him from the very first time he does it, but he does not relish the thought of walking everywhere, so grudgingly accepts that it is simply an unpleasant necessity. He also dislikes yarzons, which are definitely NOT an unpleasant necessity. They are simply unpleasant, and make his skin crawl.

He dislikes hunting (due to the Miqo'te's hunting style, which he always thought of as a little barbaric, and was never upset that he was not allowed to take part), but realises that he is unlikely to make it far in his adventuring career without being willing to slay some creatures (at least, he reckons, it is mostly for good reasons). He is intensely glad that his magick allows him to pelt them from afar, so is not often required to get up close and personal. He is not squeamish about collecting parts from animals he slays - skins, for example - but tries to only kill, and use, what he actually needs.


End file.
